Amalgamating apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. A. KONEMAN.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

No. 894,493. Q Patented De 11, 1888.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. A. KONEMAN.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

No. 894,493. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM A. KONEMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICA T10N forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,493, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed June 9, 1888. Serial No. 276,598. (No model.)

T (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. KONEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Amalgamating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to an improvement in the class of apparatus used for separating gold and silver from their ores by bringing the ores into contact with mercury.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for the purpose so constructed that the valuable materials-as the gold or silver and the mercuryafter being once introduced into the apparatus, cannot. escape during the compelling them to rise continuously against 1 their own specific gravity in seeking their escape, and whereby, having thus operated l against the natural law of gravity, the precious 3 metal is then arrested or checked in its flow adapting it from the condition in which it is to be used for gold-ore amalgamation to that toward the outlet and forced to descend, and by such descent is impelled into contact with mercury maintained during the operation continuously in peculiar motion.

The construction of my apparatus which renders it most effective for the treatment of silver-bearing ore differs somewhat from that .in which it operates effectively in the amalgamation of gold, which latter is its simpler form, inasmuch as for the accomplishment of the first-named operation it is advantageous gradually to thin the mixture of pulverized ore and water before the ultimate discharge of the refuse to permit valuable particles, which might otherwise escape with such refuse, to settle and thus be saved. These differences in the construction are hereinafter fully set forth.

It is a well-known fact, especially of gold particles in their natural state, that they are frequently in a condition called foul or rusty, meaning thereby that they are supposed to be enveloped in a jacket or coating of some volatile mineralsuch as sulphur, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, or the likeand these volatile minerals, being of alighterspecific gravity than the gold they envelop, buoy up such gold particles, causing them to float upon water, whereby in the operation of amal gamating as hitherto practiced such foul or rusty particles are almost invariably lost by their failure to come into contact with the mercury. M y apparatus prevents by its use the loss of these foul or rusty particles by enforcing their amalgamation.

Further-objects of my improvement are to afford means which shall permit both the pans and settlers commonly used in the amalgamation of silver ores and either the plates and pans or settlers commonly used in gold-ore amalgamation to be dispensed with.

To these ends my invention consists, broadly, in an inclined rotatory receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, and partitions within the receptacle dividing it into chambers intercom municating alternately near the edges and near the centers of the partitions.

My invention further consists in details of construction and combinations of parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows my device in operative position in longitudinal sectional elevation, provided with parts added to it in in which it is best operative in amalgamating silver. Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken longitudinal section of the conduit shown in Fig. 1, to extend centrally through the receptacle; Fig. 3, a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows, and showing one of the partitions having the edge openings; and Fig. 4, a plan view of one of the partitions having only a center opening. A is the receptacle, preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder, surrounded at intervals by circular tracks 0', firmly secured in place.

B is the supporting-bed, from which extend at suitable intervals vertical brackets q, varying in height, as shown, to afford a gradual incline from that at one end to that at the opposite end, and at opposite ends of the series of brackets (1 may be, respectively, the brackets p and 0, serving purposes hereinafter described. From corresponding sides of the brackets q, near their upper ends, extend flanged rollers C, the positions of which coincide with those of the circular tracks r on the receptacle A when the latteris imposed upon the brackets q, as it is in its operative position, wherein the rollers sustain it.

At its opposite ends the cylinder A is pro vided with heads m and m, the former having a central opening, I, from which a tubular extension or spout, 70, projects through the bracket 0, and the latter with a central opening, 1, having a circular flange, 7s, and at which the hopper D communicates, a suitable stuffing-box being provided, as shown, at the communication of the hopper to render such communication tight, and the bracket 10, which may be partly braced from the adjacent bracket, q, as shown, affords a prop to the hopper.

WVhere the head m engages with the bracket 0 for the support of one end of the cylinder A, the bracket may be flanged, as shown, and provided in the flange with seats for balls 1', against which the head impinges, and whereby an anti-friction bearing is afforded. head m may be surrounded by a toothed gear, 71, to be engaged by a pinion, h, on a rotary counter-shaft, g, supported in suitable position and carrying a cone beltpulley, f, and adjacent to the shaft g the driving-shaft g is supported and carries a cone belt-pulley,f, in line with the pulley f, the steps on the cone-pulleys permitting regulation of the speed of rotation. of the counter-shaft g.

Within the cylinder A, at suitable and preferably equal distances apart, are disks E and E, arranged alternately and fitting snugly into the cylinder and rigid in their positions. Each disk E is provided in or near its periphery with recesses forming openings 6, (which may, if desired, be provided with gates, though, not being really necessary, they are not shown,) preferably three in number and equal distances apart, and each disk E has an opening, 6', at or near its center. The disks afford partitions corresponding in shape with the interior cross-section of the receptacle, (which, being by preference, but not necessarily, cylindrical, thus requires the circular shape shown of the partitions,) and the partitions afford chambers F and E, which communicate through the recesses e in the partitions E and through the openings 2 in the partitions E. The chambers F have openings (1 in line with each other through the shell of the receptacle A, which openings are normally closed by means of screw-plugs or other suitable mean s,

forming stoppers (1.

G denotes mercury, a supply of which is provided in each pair of chambers F F, except, perhaps, the last few toward the lower end of the receptacle.

As thus described the apparatus is in best form for the amalgamation of gold-bearing ore, when the various parts may be composed of either iron or wood, though the latter material is preferred for use in the construction,

The

A is revolved, (from the shaft g by connecting its pulley with that on the driving-shaft g, or, if preferred, by actuating the rollers 0,) thereby imparting to the mercury G a gentle motion, causing it to roll upon itself and thus present continually n ewsurfaces for amalgamating. quired pulverized condition and mixed with water, as is common, is admitted from the supply into the hopper D, whence it enters, through the opening Z in the head on, the first chamber, F, in'the cylinder A. The supply of wet ore being constant, as the ore passes through recesses e into the adjacent chamber, I it gradually rises in the latter to the central opening, 6, in the adjacent disk, E, through which it escapes and falls into the next chamber, F, and so on throughout the series of chambers till the ore, meanwhile deprived of its precious metal, as hereinafter described, reaches the last chamber, whence it discharges through the spout 7c. The rolling motion imparted to the mercury by the rotation of the cylinder (which, as is found, does not tend to flour the mercury) causes it to" present continuously new surfaces to the ore, thereby causing its amalgamating capacity to be increased, and the necessity to which the wet ore is subjected of rising (by the pressure of infiowing material to the central openings in the alternate partitions E, which are on different levels, owing to the incline of the receptacle) in order to find its escape holds it long in each chamber, thereby allowing to a great extent the effect of the specific gravity of the precious metal to act in forcing it into contact with the mercury. Thus as the material passes from one chamber to another it gradually becomes more and more deprived of its precious metal before it reaches the discharge, where the refuse escapes. The last few chambers are preferably without mercury and serve as species of settling-chambers in series, wherein the material in passing through them is, as it were, held in suspension sufficiently long to enable whatever amalgamated and unamalgamated particles of the precious metal which may have been carried to them by the flow to settle, and thus be saved. In addition to what is shown, when the gold treated contains rusty part-icles, small iron balls may be provided in the chambers of the receptacle A to remove the rust by their rolling friction against the ore.

The apparatus as thus described and oper-- in s e in the artitions E and smaller 0 fen-- ings, 6 in the partitions E, the last-named openings beingcoincident with the openings The ore, previously reduced to the re- IIO 6, but smaller than the latter. The tubeI is open at its discharge end and inclosed from the stuffing-box (P, or from any other suitable point in a jacket or tube, I, extending through the openings 6 and c (which latter they fit snugly, but not so tightly as to prevent or impede rotation of the cylinder A) beyond the discharge-spout k and bracket, as shown, and is closed at opposite ends and supported thereat and provided on its under side with a series of openings, Z), Fig. 2, extending from near the discharge end of the pipe I some distance-say about half-waythrough the cylinder A. The lower end of the pipe I has a straining or stretching nut device, a, to stretch and hold it taut, thereby to prevent its sagging and prevent its cutting and being cut by the rotating partitions. These pipes afford a conduit through which water, in addition to that admitted with the ore, may be supplied to the end chambers, F F, or throughout all or as many chambers as desired to thin the ore mixture, the thinning being obviously most in the chambers nearest the discharge end of the pipe I, and gradually decreasing therefrom, for the purpose of facilitating the action of gravity in effecting the settling in the chambers of particles containing the precious metal, and which might otherwise escape with the discharge of the refuse.

In stopping the machine to withdraw the amalgamated material the stoppage is effected with the cylinder A in a position to bring the openings closed by the stoppers (1. underneath, whereby, when the stoppers are removed, the amalgamated material may be most conveniently removed and saved to be treated in any suitable manner to separate the precious metal from the mercury.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an amalgamating apparatus, the combination of a receptacle supported in an inclined position and having an. inlet and an outlet, mechanism for rotating, and partitions within the receptacle dividing it into chambers intercommunicating alternately near the edges and near the centers of the partitions, substantially as described.

2. In an amalgamating apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, A, supported in inclined position and rotatory upon its support, and provided with an inlet and an outlet, disks E and E within the cylinder, affording chambers F and F, and provided, respectively, with openings e near their peripheries and with openings 2 near their centers, and openings (Z in the cylinder leading into said chambers and provided with stoppers (1, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a base, 13, supporting rollers C at different planes, a cylinder, A, having an inlet and an outlet, and provided, circumferentially, with tracks 0', and supported at the tracks on said rollers, disks E and E within the cylinders, affording chambers F and F, and provided, respectively, with openings 6 near their peripheries and with openings 6 near their centers, controllable openings (Z in the cylinder leading into said chambers, and suitable gear mechanism for rotating the cylinder on the rollers, the Whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

4. In combination, a base, 13, having brackets q and end brackets, o and p, rollers t, extending from the brackets q and at different planes, a cylinder, A, having an inleteopening provided with a hopper, D, and a dischargeoutlet, tracks r, surrounding the cylinder at intervals and supportii'lg the cylinder at the rollers disks E and E within the cylinder, affording chambers F and F, and provided, respectively, with openings e near their peripheries and with openings c neartheir centers, controllable openings (Z in the cylinder leading into said chambers, and suitable gear mechanism for rotating the cylinder on the rollers, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

5. In an amalgamating apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, A, supported in inclined position and rotating upon its support, and having an inlet and an outlet, disks E and E within the cylinder, aifording chambers F and F, openings c near the peripheries of the disks E, and openings e near their centers, and openings 6 near the centers of the disks E, openings (1 in the cylinder leading into said chambers and provided with stoppers d, and a perforated pipe, 1, extending through the disk-openings e c in the cylinder, and inclosing a pipe, I, opening into the pipe I toward one end and communicating with a water-supply from its opposite end, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a base, I having brackets q and end brackets, 0 and p, rollers extending from the brackets q and at different planes, a cylinder, A, having an inlet-opening provided with a hopper, I), and a dischargeoutlet, tracks 1', surrounding the cylinder at intervals and supporting it at the rollers t, disks E and E within the cylinder, affording chambers F and F, and provided, respectively, with openings e, 6 and c, openings (1 in the cylinder leading into said chambers and provided with stoppers (1, suitable gear mechanism connected with the cylinder to rotate it on the rollers, a pipe, I, extending through said inlet-opening, and openings e e in the disks in the cylinder and communicating with a water-su )ply, and a perforated pipe, I, inclosing the pipe I in the cylinder, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

\YILLIAM A. HON IMAN. In presence of J. W. DYRENFORTH, CHAs. E. GAYLORD.

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